For Richer, For Poorer
by hanabananana
Summary: For Blaine, dating has never been easy. Time after time, he ends up with sleazy guys who are only interested in one thing: his impressive bank account. When he meets Kurt, however, Blaine decides to 'play it poor', with the hopes that someone might actually like him rather than how much money he earns.


**Reposting due to some formatting problems! Thanks to those who brought it to my attention! xxx**

* * *

><p>The evening was quite lovely. The restaurant was exquisite, a gentle tinkling piano in the background set the romantic mood while the food was simply to die for. Although, at over a hundred bucks per person, Blaine expects nothing less. The night would be perfect if not for the occasion.<p>

Blaine rubs his hands on his napkin for about the seventh time since Jason went to the bathroom, their plates are clear, the bottle of wine - formerly known as $200 - is empty, Blaine has done enough stalling. He really hates this part.

As much as getting dumped hurts, being the one to break things off isn't exactly easy either. Even if it's with someone like Jason.

"You okay?" Jason asks. Blaine's head whips up, seeing his boyfriend apparently back from the bathroom.

"It isn't working out," Blaine blurts out as he takes his seat opposite. Jason pauses for just a second before speaking.

"Tell me about it, this place is a dump. How come we never go to that nice French place anymore? You know, where you took me for my birthday?"

"Because their entrées alone are $125." And Blaine knows he'd have to pick up the tab.

"So? It's not like we're on a budget," Jason counters with a smile, Blaine can't believe it took him this long to realise just how sleazy it is on him.

"Look, my problem isn't with the restaurant, Jason," Blaine snaps before softening his tone, "It's...us. I don't think it's working."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jason asks with a sudden scowl, all of his previous playfulness is now gone from his face.

"I don't think you're in this as much as I am," Blaine says. "Maybe we should call it quits before one of us gets hurt," Namely him, Blaine thinks but doesn't say. He's been down this route far too many times. He meets a guy, he seems perfect at first but all too soon it becomes evident what they want. And Blaine is the fool who always lets them get away with it for too long.

The night ends in tears, as he expected. Jason is angry, Blaine is sorry, Jason leaves and Blaine is alone. Again.

This was never a problem that Blaine envisioned himself having when it came to dating.

* * *

><p>"Dude, why do you keep letting these guys walk all over you?" Sam asks during their ritual post-breakup gaming marathon, eyes locked on the video game that he and Blaine are playing. Though Blaine is only half paying attention to the game in favour of feeling sorry for himself.<p>

"I don't know," he says meekly, "I meet a guy and he seems nice and before I know it I'm buying him expensive gifts and paying for dinner every night." When Blaine dies for the last time, he gives up the control and slouches back onto the sofa. He likes hanging out at Sam's place, it's considerably smaller than his penthouse and he likes the modesty of it. The wide open empty spaces can get lonely when Blaine's at home.

"Have you tried, you know, not doing that?" Sam asks and Blaine can tell from his tone that he's totally judging him right now.

"I like to make an impression, I want them to like me don't I? I guess I don't really know how else to get people to like me."

"I like you! And you've never showered me with luxuries," Sam mentions, "That was a hint by the way."

"Shut up," Blaine laughs, tossing a pillow his way. Blaine is thankful for Sam. As his best and ultimately only friend, Blaine finds himself spending most of his time with him. He's the only person that Blaine knows for certain actually likes him for who he is, not because he has a handsome sum of money in the bank. Despite how he may joke, Sam never expects anything from him other than his friendship.

"Look, Bro, I'm not an expert or anything but I'm pretty sure if you flaunt your cash to get people to like you then you're only going to attract one type of person."

"I don't _flaunt_," Blaine argues instead of admitting that Sam might have a point. "And so I have an expensive taste in fashion, that's not a crime." He earned his money, he's allowed to spend it.

"Your wardrobe could pay off my parents' house, okay. Nobody needs fifteen pairs of burgundy chinos."

"You're an asshole," Blaine says. He only has seven pairs, though he supposes even that may be a little excessive.

"Look, maybe you should just try...toning it down a little? At least until you get to know the guy better. You're a perfectly likeable guy, Blaine, trust me. Just be yourself."

"Thanks for the tip, Cosmo, but I have to head to work."

"Hey, maybe there'll be a cute guy in the audience tonight!"

"Well unless he has x-ray vision and can see me underneath the stage in the orchestra pit, I don't think I'll have much luck," Blaine says before grabbing his bag and heading out the door.

Blaine knows it won't be long before he forgets Jason along with the long line of other guys who have ripped him off in the past. Sure he was hot, but that was really all he had going in his favour. Blaine doesn't love him, he never did and he always knew that but for him, being with someone is far easier than being alone. He doesn't miss Jason, he just misses the comfort of having someone around which is probably why he lets himself be walked over time and time again.

Blaine earns an honest living playing in the orchestra for Wicked. He couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect career and the sizeable pay check he gets each week is just an added bonus. Blaine loves theatre, he loves music and getting to combine everything he loves in his job is like a dream come true. He isn't in it for the money but what else is he supposed to do with it besides spend it? And who better to spend it on than someone you love? The problem for Blaine is finding a person who will love him back.

Checking his watch, Blaine realises that he's running a little late and quickens his pace before his phone rings in his pocket.

"Blaine! Thank God. Listen," Phil, the musical director and his boss yells before Blaine can even say _Hello,_ "there's been an accident. Long story short, the neck on your cello has snapped and we don't have a replacement here at the theatre. Please tell me you have a spare you can bring in tonight."

The information is thrown at Blaine all at once and he barely has a chance to process any of it before answering. Any conversation had with Phil goes at a set pace of one hundred miles per hour and no slower.

"Uhh, yeah, yeah of course," Blaine says, hurrying down to the subway.

"Fantastic! You're a lifesaver, you know that! Now don't be late!" The line goes dead, once again before Blaine has time to produce even a single syllable.

Blaine does have another Cello at home but with only one hour before he needs to be in the pit, playing the opening number, there's no way he's going to have time to go home and grab it.

He gets off a stop early and heads to the first music store he can find, dishes out over $3000 for a brand new Cello and rushes to the theatre on foot, knowing that navigating the subway with the huge instrument would be a nightmare.

Though, of course, he isn't exactly in the quietest part of New York City, the streets are treacherous and when he finally makes it to the theatre, Blaine is sweating buckets. He's not sure if he even has the energy to play a whole show any more.

"Oh, do you need a hand there?" A voice says just as Blaine is struggling with the stage door. The Cello is impossibly heavy and Blaine's arms have turned to lead by this point, on top of this, his backpack insists on slipping off his shoulder and the door refuses to stay open for longer than two seconds before slamming shut again. Everything seems to be telling Blaine that perhaps he should just admit defeat and go home.

"Here, let me." The voice belongs to a man no older than Blaine and he's holding the door open so he can finally heave his heavy load through. Turning back to thank the stranger, he's struck almost instantly by the piercing blue of his eyes and angular face, accentuated by a soft smile. He's stunning and Blaine's heart skips a beat at the sight.

"Thanks," he says, chest heaving. Now is not the time to let some guy take his breath away, not when the heavy cello already beat him to it, but he is simply gorgeous and Blaine can't bring himself to leave just yet. "Wow," he mumbles under his breath.

"No problem! I saw you struggling, that case looked heavy."

"My hero," Blaine says with a laugh, pressing his hand to his heart.

"So do you play?"

"Yeah, I started learning the violin when I was 4 and moved on to the cello when I was big enough to hold one without falling over! My parents are those pushy kind that expect their kids to perfect everything they do and be the next prodigy." Kurt laughs and Blaine actually feels comfortable laughing with him after the week he has had.

"So are you performing?" The guy asks brightly, nodding towards the cello case and the $3000 instrument inside.

"Here? Uhh, no," Blaine lies because he knows he could easily like this guy, and because he knows what inevitably happens whenever he likes a guy so he takes Sam's advice for once in his life. What harm could it do to play it poor? To see if Sam's right, if it's actually possible for someone to like _him_, not his bank account. "No, I'm just delivering some equipment, I...work at a music store."

"Oh, well anyway I-I should get going, I don't want to miss the show!" the guy says with a wave of his ticket and Blaine's heart drops just a little. Of course the guy had only helped him out thinking he was in the show, probably wanting to score free tickets in the future or something.

"Right, yeah." Blaine tries not to sound too dejected, wanting to just get inside and play but then the stranger is talking again and his voice is so deliciously tempting that Blaine would rather just sit and listen to him speak all night long.

"But before I go could I just...See, I've been wanting to learn an instrument for a while, maybe you could, help me figure out what I'd be good at over coffee this week?" Blaine stares dumbly at the sweet, hopeful smile he receives and knows at that moment that his soul has been sold.

"I'd love to!"

"That's great! Thank you so much! I'm Kurt, by the way, Kurt Hummel." the boy says with a satisfied grin and an extended hand which Blaine takes, hoping his palms aren't too sweaty from carrying the cello.

"Blaine...Evans," Blaine responds, knowing that his real name is printed in the playbill and that there is every possibility that Kurt will see it.

"Christ, there you are! What time do you call this? I was worried you weren't gonna show!" Phil, yells from the stage door just as they've exchanged numbers. Blaine waves goodbye and hurries inside before Phil can give his real identity away and once the door slams shut behind him Blaine holds his phone in his hand with the knowledge that he has a date this week. And he knows for a fact that Kurt isn't after his money.

* * *

><p>"You did what?"<p>

"I did what you told me to do. I pretended I was just a regular broke guy and it worked, a guy asked me out! At least I think he did."

"I said not to flaunt your cash, not to lie," Sam says, looking uncharacteristically cross, "What happens when he finds out you don't work in a music store?"

"Look, I'm sure he'll understand once I tell him the whole story now can you please help me with what I asked in the first place?"

Sam turns with a huff, opening Blaine's refrigerator and rummaging for snacks.

"Just wear what you always wear," he says with a mouthful of chocolate mousse. Blaine's head drops to the bar.

"I can't go looking like a million bucks! He thinks I'm broke, remember!"

"Yeah and whose fault is that?" Sam asks, pouring himself a glass of milk before going in search of cookies.

"Are you going to help me or just stand there eating all my food?" Growing frustrated, Blaine hops off the stool and storms to his bedroom, throwing open his wardrobe in the hopes of finding something discreet enough.

"We could check out the clothing department at walmart?" Sam suggests, strolling into the bedroom with a bag of cookies. Blaine shudders in response.

"I don't think I'm that desperate for love. God, this is hopeless." He tosses an armful of polo shirts on the bed.

"You know, you might just be the first person in history to complain that all his clothes are too nice to wear for his date. Move out of the way, let's see what we got." Sam pushes Blaine aside to rummage through his closet. Tossing shirt after shirt onto the bed and surrounding area. He picks out Blaine's oldest pair of burgundy chinos, the one with the rip at the bottom ("It makes it look like you can't afford another pair...or ten.") and a plain white polo, ("He doesn't have to know it cost $80")

"Well? How do I look?" Blaine asks modelling the outfit while Sam makes himself at home in front of the 42" widescreen TV.

"Like a schmuck who left his wallet in his other pair of pants."

"Perfect!"

* * *

><p>"I don't know if it's obvious but wanting to learn an instrument isn't exactly the reason why I wanted to meet you for coffee," Kurt confesses after they've picked up their drinks and taken a seat at a secluded table by the window.<p>

"I had my suspicions," Blaine replies with a smug grin.

Blaine finds it all too easy to just sit and listen to Kurt talking. He moved to the city to attend NYADA, has interned for and works at the spotlight diner - where Blaine has always wanted to visit and now has a reason to. It's such a unique feeling, to just sit and listen to someone's life story, to take everything in. It's like having a crash course on another person.

"I've been trying to figure out what I want to do now that I've graduated but I just don't seem to be going anywhere. Auditions are scarce and actual roles even fewer. I don't want to work at the diner for the rest of my life but I have to pay the rent somehow. I guess I'm still waiting for my big break to come. But enough about me lamenting my broken dreams," Kurt adds with a slight self-deprecating laugh, "how about you?"

Blaine's heart thumps when the conversation is shifted to him. He can't tell Kurt the truth, not yet anyway, he's still trying to figure this whole situation out. It's not that he doesn't trust Kurt, it's that he's lost faith in his love life entirely. Not once has Blaine ever been in a relationship where his money wasn't the focus. He has never lacked in wealth, his parents are loaded, so to speak, his trust fund got him through college and now with his job in the orchestra, Blaine lives quite comfortably. Or, as Sam would put it, like a King.

"Oh, um, there's not really much to say about me. I go to work, pay the bills, like everyone else."

"At a music store, right?"

"Right! Yeah it's uh, it's pretty boring, really."

"Of course it isn't boring! We're here to get to know each other, right? Isn't that was dates are kind of about?"

"So this _is_ a date?" Blaine asks, watching gleefully as Kurt begins to blush.

"If you want it to be. Am I being too forward? It's been a while since I've dated, I'm sorry if I'm being-"

"No, don't be. It's fine, I haven't had the best of luck with guys either so I'm kind of nervous too."

With that, a dam seems to break, the awkwardness vanishes and Blaine finds that he can talk for hours with Kurt about their previous romantic mishaps. Blaine obviously leaves out the main details as to why all of his relationships didn't work out but that doesn't mean that there aren't other things about them all that irked him.

Kurt seems to have had just as much trouble with guys.

"This one guy I dated had a bizarre obsession with M&Ms," Kurt says, face clouding over with slight disgust at the memory, "don't get me wrong, he was an okay guy but he took me on a _date _to M&M's world like four times before I decided that enough was enough and don't even get me started on Andrew. If I didn't text him my exact whereabouts every two hours then he'd freak out."

Blaine feels bad for laughing but when Kurt smiles and playfully hits his arm he somehow feels like maybe it's okay to laugh, not just at Kurt's misfortunes with dating but his own also.

"It's getting late," Blaine admits after a while, having noticed the numerous glances that they have been receiving from the baristas trying to clean up for the last half hour, "And I should really be getting to work."

"It's 6:30," Kurt says with a frown, "I didn't realise music stores stayed open so late." Blaine's heart all but stops, realising that he walked himself right into that trap as he fumbles for an escape route.

"Yeah, no I'm uh, doing inventory. Counting guitar strings and stuff like that." If Blaine could smack himself right there in the middle of the coffee shop without raising suspicion then he would. Luckily, Kurt doesn't question Blaine's slip up, rising to his feet with Blaine following suit.

"So, can I see you again?" Kurt asks as they're all but kicked out of the building.

"Really? I mean you want to?"

"I want to."

"I want to, too. I mean, yeah, I'd love that."

"Maybe I could come by your store some time? You know it wasn't a complete lie when I said I wanted to pick up an instrument." Blaine freezes, mind racing as he tries to come up with something but he finds that it's not quite as easy to get himself out of this one. And suddenly he's hyper aware of every second ticking by without a response and the miniscule change in Kurt's face when Blaine doesn't immediately reply.

"That'd be great," he says, unable to find any other way out of the situation. After all, he doesn't want Kurt to think that he doesn't want to see him, because he really, _really_ does, only now he's dug himself into a hole that he may not be able to get himself out of. "I'll text you the address." Kurt smiles wide and bright, nodding in reply before taking a swift step forward and pecking Blaine on the cheek and leaving him momentarily dumbstruck.

"I guess I'll see you later then?"

"You can count on it," Blaine replies, watching with a sinking heart as Kurt leaves before turning around and heading to the theatre.

* * *

><p>"How the hell am I supposed to get out of this, Sam?" Blaine practically yells down the phone as he heads home that night. "I don't work at a music store and he's expecting me to text him the address so he can come visit me at work. Oh my God, what am I gonna do?"<p>

"My advice? Run for the hills," Sam replies in an entirely unhelpful manner.

"What?!"

"What? You wanted to see if it was possible for a guy to like you, not your money. You've discovered that yes, it is possible, so now you can start looking for a relationship with someone who you haven't lied through your teeth to."

"But I don't want to find someone else. I really like this guy, I want to make it work."

"And how do you expect to do that? Pretend to be poor your whole life?"

"Not my whole life just...until I find the right way to tell him, until I _know_ I can trust him not to rip me off like all the other guys."

"Bro, I'm your best friend therefore it is my duty as stated by the Best Friend Code that I must inform you that you are a dumbass." Blaine chuckles at that because the situation really is ludicrous.

"I know I am, but I can't just walk away from this, I don't think I've ever felt this way about a guy before."

"That's bull, I was there when you first met Jason, and Colin, and Ryan and -"

"Okay, Okay, I get it, but this is the first time someone else has ever actually seemed to be just as interested in me as I am in them. Genuinely interested. I'm not gonna let him slip through my fingers."

The next day, Blaine feels a lot more focused. All it takes is a clear head. He outlines his problems and thinks of a way to solve them, simple as that. Kurt thinks he works at a music store? Well all he has to do is get a job at a music store. How hard could it be to manage a simple part time job in a field that he's already an expert in?

In fact, the difficult part which Blaine is in no way anticipating is actually finding somewhere to hire him.

"Aren't you a little overqualified?" The owner of the 5th music store he's tried today asks, eyes glancing to Blaine then back at his resume with uncertainty. Blaine smiles uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "I feel like you'd be better off handing this thing to the New York Philharmonic than to me, kid."

"So I'm a little overqualified, you can't say I don't know my stuff."

"Do you know how to work a cash register?"

"...No."

"Have you ever worked in retail before?"

"No."

"Then you don't know your stuff."

"Excuse me," a woman interrupts politely. "I'm looking to buy a new guitar for my daughter's birthday, do you have anything for under, say, $400?"

"Sure, we have a selection over here from 320 bucks," the owner says, showing the customer over to the wall of guitars in every colour.

"How long has your daughter been playing?" Blaine asks, following the two to the other side of the store.

"Ten years," the woman responds proudly, "She'll be 18 next month and I wanted to get her something she can take with her to college. She's studying music."

"In that case, could I suggest something from Gibson, or maybe Fender? They're a little pricier but a much better choice for someone more advanced." Blaine knows he's probably overstepping several boundaries, but if he doesn't prove himself then no one will take his application seriously. He tries not to look at the shop owner as the woman seems to consider.

"How much pricier?" She asks, looking around at some of the more expensive guitars.

"We got Gibsons from $800," the store owner says, glaring at Blaine suspiciously. "Fenders from 730, but he's right, certainly a good choice for a more advanced musician."

"I studied music here in New York and let me tell you, the right sort of instrument is essential. Better sound, better quality, not to mention it looks all the more professional," Blaine adds, hoping to seal the deal on the sale.

"You know what, I'm so proud of my Melanie, she deserves something she can be proud of too. What would you recommend in particular?" The question is directed at Blaine. He pauses for a moment, gaging the reaction from the owner of the store who waves him to continue.

"If you ask me, the Gibson Les Paul is a classic-" he says, leading the woman to some of the top end guitars.

* * *

><p>"So I put my fingers here?" Kurt asks uncertainly, hand hovering over the fingerboard of a second hand cello.<p>

"More like here," Blaine says, sitting directly behind him and moving his fingers to the right position and pressing them down against the strings. They're in the back room of the music store, sitting so close that Kurt is practically in Blaine's lap, with Blaine's arms circling him to guide him. Blaine wants nothing more than to just rest his head on Kurt's shoulder but he knows that that won't be entirely productive with the task of teaching him how to play the cello and settles for resting his hands on Kurt's instead.

"Now take the bow the way I showed you earlier, like this," he says, moving Kurt's other hand into the correct position to hold the bow and keeping his own hand enclosed around Kurt's, "and glide it across the strings like so." Together they move the bow and a deep, vibrating C thrums through the instrument. Kurt lets out a satisfied hum himself that Blaine can feel vibrating against Kurt's back, like he's his own instrument that Blaine would very much like to learn to play. "Do you remember the next position?" he asks, instead focusing on the task at hand.

"I think so," Kurt says, fingers sliding and settling into a new position, together they move the bow once again for the next note to sound.

"And the last one I showed you?" Kurt moves his fingers again, this time without the assistance of Blaine and slides the bow on his own accord. "You're a natural!"

"Okay, Okay, enough of me now, you play something," Kurt decides, moving his seat away from Blaine's - much to his disappointment- and holding the instrument out to him.

"You want to hear me play?" Blaine tries not to think about the fact that technically, Kurt already has.

"Yeah, I want to hear what an expert sounds like."

"An expert, huh?" Blaine replies, teasingly.

"Can you play anything I might know?"

"That depends, how well versed are you on Haydn?" Kurt makes a face at that which Blaine can't help but chuckle at. "What are you into?"

"My iTunes consists mostly of show tunes if I'm honest, It's not quite as sophisticated as Haydn but..."

"Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed, I'm a sucker for show tunes as well. In fact it's pretty much my whole life if I'm being honest," Blaine says. He doesn't miss the way Kurt's eyes shift, as though he's looking at him in a totally different way and the change gives Blaine butterflies in his stomach.

"Really?"

Blaine positions his fingers and dives into the chorus of Defying Gravity to prove his point. He can play this song in his sleep but Kurt somehow looks entranced, his entire face lighting up the moment he recognises the song.

"It's not quite the same without a whole orchestra but-"

"Wow," Kurt interrupts, "you're just like...wow."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I'd say so, yeah."

Kurt's eyes are locked onto his, unmoving, and Blaine finds himself paralyzed, utterly lost in the deep blue ocean of Kurt's gaze. The entire shop is silent save for the quiet exhales of their own breathing. Blaine finds the silence too much to bare as goose bumps begin to form along his arms and he needs to break it somehow before he goes insane with everything that is Kurt.

"I can...I can play something else," he begins, hands fumbling with the cello but before his mind can even process that fact that Kurt is moving, his lips are crashing against his with a passion that's filled to the brim with heat. Blaine almost drops the cello but his mind catches up just in the nick of time to remember that even second hand it's worth a small fortune. Not to mention Mr Deacon would fire him in an instant should he break it. Tearing his lips away from Kurt's, his heart breaks at the split second of rejection on Kurt's face as he lays it down on the ground before his lips find their way back to Kurt's. Kurt hums in satisfaction or relief, Blaine doesn't quite know, but now he can feel the vibrations thrumming through his own body, connecting them as one being.

Kissing Kurt is unreal. There's an intensity that he's never felt before and for a moment, Blaine is almost able to believe that he really is just a broke, struggling musician, kissing a beautiful man in the back room of his work place. It's like a romantic fantasy being played out for real, the reality tucked away in some forgotten part of his brain as he tastes and explores every part of Kurt that he can.

"That's it, break it up kids," Mr Deacon says, entering the back room. Kurt jumps back at the intrusion before smiling with a hesitant laugh when Blaine catches his eye. "Shouldn't you be getting to work?"

"I guess I should go, thanks for the Cello lesson," Kurt says, leaving Blaine with one last kiss before he goes.

"My shift is over," Blaine says to Mr Deacon once Kurt has left, slightly irritated that they were interrupted.

"Not here, kid, don't you have a show to play?" with the sudden realisation that he has thirty minutes to get to the theatre, Blaine scrambles for his things and rushes out the door.

* * *

><p>It is shocking for Blaine to realise just how quickly he has fallen for Kurt. They've had three coffee dates, two cello lessons and numerous walks through the park on Kurt's days off from the diner and it feels as though with every new piece of information he learns about Kurt, the more he's sure that he's finally found the one for him. The one person who fits him in every way possible way, who isn't looking for a quick thrill or to be showered in luxuries but instead wants exactly what Blaine wants, romance, a <em>relationship<em>.

Unfortunately the knowledge that Blaine hasn't been entirely – or at all – truthful with Kurt is always insistently nagging on his mind and the deeper he gets into this relationship, he knows it's going to hurt all the more when the truth is finally out. But it's hard, there's no easy way of telling the person that you might just be falling in love with that you've been lying to them the whole time. Blaine is certain that unless he can find the right way to tell him, Kurt will be gone faster than Blaine can say he's sorry and that's a thought that he isn't sure he can deal with.

"We should go out on a date," Kurt suggests one afternoon as they walk hand in hand through central park.

"Is that not what we've been doing for the last two weeks?"

"No, I know. What I mean is we should go on a real date, one of those cliché romantic types. You know, get all dressed up and go to some fancy restaurant. I want to know what an evening with Blaine Evans is really like," Kurt suggests with a sly smile. The name throws him for just a moment before he remembers one of the many lies he's told since meeting Kurt.

"A fancy restaurant, huh?" Blaine answers, all too aware of just how uncomfortable the thought makes him. He knows that Kurt isn't with him because he has money but the suggestion brings back painful memories of all the guys who were.

"It doesn't have to be that fancy. I'd be happy taking you out to Denny's if that's what you wanted, as long as I still get to dress up." And with that phrase, _taking you out,_ Blaine is sold to the idea. No one has ever taken Blaine out on a date before. Blaine is always the one making the effort, lavishing guys with expensive meals and gifts. This, on the other hand, is utterly new, an experience he's never had before.

"Of course you can dress up," Blaine says with a laugh. "But I think I can manage something a little fancier than Denny's. Just a little."

"I know the perfect place!" Kurt says excitedly, "Do you like French food? I know this adorable bistro, and I'd love to take you there one night."

"That sounds great, how's Monday for you?"

"Sadly I have to work. Can we do Friday instead?"

Blaine's heart sits like a stone in his stomach, he somehow knew this was coming, the only night he gets off is Monday and he has no way of explaining why he's busy every night of the week besides telling the truth.

"Friday's fine, perfect even," he confirms after a momentary hesitation. He'll just have to book some time off, though it won't make him popular with Phil.

"I can pick you up at seven?"

Yet another hurdle, Blaine feels like he's been running an obstacle course lately. There's no way he can let Kurt see his place, not until everything is out in the open at least.

"Actually, I have some things I need to take care of beforehand, would it be okay if I just met you there?" With every lie that Blaine is forced to tell, he despises himself more and more.

"Okay, sure," Kurt says, entirely unaware of Blaine's internal conflict. "I can't wait!" He says, punctuating his departure with a kiss as he heads off to work, leaving Blaine decidedly certain that he doesn't deserve someone like Kurt.

* * *

><p>"Wow, this isn't half bad," Blaine says tasting his coq au vin.<p>

"You say that like you're surprised. I told you this place was good, and cheap too!" Kurt comments with a smug grin. It's not exactly the best Blaine's tasted but when you frequently dine at Michelin star restaurants, it's difficult not to be picky. Still, Blaine doesn't want to be the food snob he fears he's become, the food is better than he expected and, most importantly, he's here with Kurt. Kurt who's dressed in a pair of fitted silver pants and an offensively tight waistcoat to match. Blaine probably wouldn't notice if they served him last week's leftovers.

"So this thing we're doing. You and me," Kurt starts after a short exchange of idle chatter, undeniably nervous as he plays with his food a little. "At what stage do I get to start telling people that you're my boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Blaine says, testing the word, liking the way it falls from his lips. He's been a lot of guys' boyfriends before but with Kurt he feels a giddy elation in the centre of his stomach that is something new and exciting. For once he's with a guy because he wants to be with him, not just because he just wants a boyfriend in general.

"That _is_ where this is headed right? I mean don't get me wrong I love all the time we spend together but I'd like it even more if we could be...you know."

"Official?"

"You make it sound so high school,"

Well, Blaine wouldn't know anything about that, having spent his teenage years at a private institute for boys but he thinks he gets what Kurt means.

"Yes, Kurt. You can tell people I'm your boyfriend. You know, my friend Sam is probably sick of the sound of your name by now so _boyfriend_ might be a nice change for him at least."

"You talk about me to your friends?"

"Of course I do. I'm crazy about you."

Kurt takes a bite of his food to try and disguise his blush while Blaine finds it utterly adorable, he can't believe he's lucky enough to be able to call this man his boyfriend.

They share a dessert at Blaine's insistence, feeding each other like a couple of lovesick puppies on Valentine's Day, laughing the entire time at how ridiculous they probably look. It's something he's never done on a date before, and they make an utter mess of things, spilling caramel all over the table cloth.

"You're such a dork," Kurt laughs, wiping a piece of crème caramel from Blaine's cheek and sucking it from his thumb in a way that does things to Blaine that he can't quite explain. It's one of the cheesiest dates he's ever been on, the food is acceptable and the wine is awful but it's by far the best time he's had out in a long time. They split the bill when it comes and Blaine discovers that it's also the cheapest by a long stretch.

It's not that he doesn't want to spoil Kurt, take him out to expensive restaurants and give him everything he could possibly want. In fact, the more time Blaine spends with him, the more he wants to do just that. He wants Kurt to taste a crème caramel that makes his toes curl, he wants him to try a bottle of wine that costs more than $7.95. But things are complicated, way more complicated than they should be. It's not just about owning up to how much he really earns, it's admitting that he straight out lied to him and Blaine is still figuring out just how to do that in the most delicate way possible. The last thing he wants is for Kurt to walk out and if he does this wrong then that's exactly what he'll do.

"It's such a nice night," Kurt says as they leave the bistro, taking Blaine's hand like it belongs there - which it most certainly does as far as Blaine's concerned. "Let me walk you home? I don't want to say goodbye just yet." There's so much potential meaning behind what Kurt just said that Blaine replies before his brain can catch up.

"Sure," he says, realising the moment he says it that he's made a severe mistake. Blaine's penthouse is not in the least bit modest, from the building alone Kurt will know that he earns a little bit more than the salary of a shop assistant. Heart pounding, Kurt smiles at him, waiting for Blaine to lead the way so, thinking on his feet, Blaine makes a left, walking in the direction of Sam's place, hoping to God that he's home. The night has been so perfect, the thought of telling Kurt the truth now and watching him walk away makes his stomach churn so he tells just one more elaborate lie, hoping that he'll somehow be able to make it out of this.

They get the subway to lower Manhattan, and from there it's just a ten minute walk from the subway station to Sam's place.

"I'd invite you inside but...my roommate is sort of weird about guests this late at night," Blaine says, feeling as though that's what Kurt is waiting for.

"That's okay," Kurt is quick to say, "I wasn't expecting...I mean, I really did just want to walk with you."

Blaine kisses him them, hand resting just perfectly against his jaw.

"I love kissing you," Blaine says, eyes still closed and lips barely touching Kurt's.

"Good, because I expect it to be a regular occurrence. Four times in three weeks just won't do."

"You've been keeping count?" Blaine laughs, loving Kurt's sense of humour.

"Well there was kiss number one at the music store after you played Defying Gravity on the cello."

"Mmm, my favourite one," Blaine says, hands drifting to Kurt's hips as they sway slightly outside Sam's building.

"Kiss number two when we went out for coffee a couple days after."

"You tasted like latte,"

"Kiss number three when I asked you out on a real date, which by the way, was lovely, and finally kiss number four, just now, and quite possibly _my_ favourite."

"Why's that?" Blaine asks, moving in closer ready for kiss number five.

"Because it was our first kiss as official boyfriends." Blaine leans in again, kissing Kurt gently against his slightly parted lips.

"And that was our second kiss as official boyfriends."

"You learn fast," Kurt says, smiling brightly. "But as much as I love standing here kissing you, I should probably head home, it's late."

"Okay," Blaine says, a little disappointed to see him go though they have been standing in front of Sam's building for the last ten minutes. "I'll see you next week?"

"Of course."

They stand for a couple of seconds in silence before Blaine realises that Kurt's waiting for him to actually go inside.

"I just...realised I forgot my key," he says lamely, patting his pockets as though double checking before ringing the buzzer, hoping that Sam won't hate him too much.

"Oh, if you can't get in I have a couch," Kurt says with concern.

"It'll be fine, honest," he says with slight panic, wishing Kurt would leave before Sam answers the door in obvious confusion as to why Blaine is here at this hour.

"Hello?" Sam's voice crackles over the tiny speaker.

"Sam!" Blaine exclaims, exasperatedly,

"Blaine? What are you-"

"I forgot my key, can you let me in?" he says, glancing nervously at Kurt.

"What? You don't have a-"

"Yeah, I don't have it," he punctuates, "I left it on the side table."

"Uh...okay," Sam replies before buzzing Blaine in.

"He gets cranky," he justifies, waving goodbye to Kurt as he lets himself through the door. God he really is making a mess of this.

"Dude, what the hell?" Sam says, opening the apartment door for Blaine dressed only in his boxers.

"Sorry! Kurt wanted to walk me home and I panicked. Can I crash here?"

"Whatever, but you have got to fix this okay. You are getting way too serious with this guy, it's just gonna hurt even more when he finds out that you've been lying to him this whole time. And what about him, huh? You don't think he's gonna be devastated when he finds out the guy he's been seeing has done nothing but lie to him?" Sam scolds. Blaine knows he has his back, knows he probably right but he just doesn't want to hear it, not now.

"I know, Sam, I know but I can't just walk away from him. I'm _already_ in way too deep. If you have any bright ideas about how I can fix this without him leaving then I'd be greatly appreciative."

"Sorry bro but you're just gonna have to come clean and hope for the best."

"I feared you might say that," Blaine says, heart clenching at the thought.

Blaine takes some time over the weekend to think, really think about what it is he's doing exactly. He and Kurt are dating, Kurt is his boyfriend, he's gone well past the point of being able to come clean and hope that Kurt would understand. He's gone out of his way to tell lie after lie about who he is and for what? Because guys keep ripping him off?

He should have known from the start that Kurt wasn't going to do that. The fundamental difference between Kurt and all the other guys Blaine has dated is that Kurt actually wants to know about _Blaine_. Kurt asks about his family, about his hobbies, how his day is going, not what he does, where he lives or what car he drives. Kurt has never pried into such things, Blaine has always just offered up the false information to validate his cover story.

It's obvious now what the tell-tale signs were but Blaine had never thought of it that way, he'd never had anyone to compare the other guys to but now he does. Now it's all too obvious that all the other guys were money grabbing creeps. And now because of his blindness, he may have ruined things with the one guy he feels like he could really fall in love with.

His weekend is spent between working at the music store and performing at the theatre. He's not sure how much longer he can juggle both jobs, finding himself growing exhausted from all the hours he's putting in. He can't remember the last time he had a few hours to himself and by Sunday evening he's ready to collapse when he arrives back home.

"You look exhausted, kid," Mr Deacon says when Blaine arrives at the music store at 7:30am on Monday morning to help open up. Having played four shows over the weekend, as well as working at the store, Blaine wasn't exactly thrilled at his alarm blaring at 6am that morning

"Wonder why," he says through a yawn.

"What the hell are you even doing here anyway?" he asks, setting up the cash register while Blaine organises the stack of sheet music.

"It's my shift..." he says, slightly confused, hoping that he hasn't gotten the times mixed up.

"No I mean what the hell are you doing working at a place like this when you have a gig playing on one of the most popular shows on Broadway? I've been meaning to ask."

"Oh...I'm," Blaine pauses, asking himself the same question and wanting to laugh at the answer. "I'm pretending to be a broke, struggling musician to impress a guy I like." he says, hearing it out loud and feeling like an utter fool.

Mr Deacon stares at him, waiting to see if Blaine is kidding and he almost wishes he was.

"Jesus, kids these days," he says, "You know you're gonna kill yourself if you keep this up, is this guy really worth that?"

"Honestly...I think he is. I'm the one who's not worth it."

"You're working yourself to the bone to impress him, I think that makes you worth something, kid. But I can't let you do it any more, look at you, you can barely keep your eyes open."

"I'm fine," Blaine protests, "I just need some coffee, I'll be fine."

"Look, you've been an incredible help these past few weeks but you're too big for this place. I'm letting you go," Mr Deacon says with an air of finality that allows no space for argument.

"You're firing me?"

"If that's what it takes to get you to go home and rest then yeah. You're great at what you do and I'm gonna miss having you around but you'll thank me one day. No one is worth doing this to yourself for. But you know, if you ever wanna swing by and say hey then you know where to find me."

Blaine heads to the back to grab his things, mind reeling from what just happened but thankful at least that he can go home and sleep.

"Thanks for everything Mr Deacon, sorry if I was more trouble than I was worth," he says.

"Don't mention it, and hey if you have any musician friends who need equipment you know where to tell them to go, right?"

"Of course," Blaine says with a tired smile before heading home.

He sends a quick text to Kurt letting him know that he won't be able to make their weekly music lesson before crawling into bed for a few more hours of sleep.

* * *

><p>Blaine stays in bed for the whole day. He's never been fired before and the feeling of the knowledge settles uncertainly in the pit of his stomach. Not only that but he knows that the time to tell Kurt the truth is growing rapidly nearer and thus the time when Kurt inevitably breaks up with him is also approaching with it. Blaine is at a loss. There's simply no way of breaking the truth without it hurting, there's no foreseeable way that this is going to end well and Blaine is having trouble digesting that information.<p>

It's been month since they first kissed and already he means more to him than any of his past boyfriends. The thought of losing him already feels like a punch to the gut.

Kurt replies to his text during one of his breaks at work, suggesting that they go out some time during the week instead and Blaine remembers that he hasn't lost him just yet. That Kurt is still here for now at least and the thought gives him a slight flicker of hope.

Sam was right, he really shouldn't have gotten in this deep.

* * *

><p>Blaine meets Kurt for coffee on Thursday and it's as though Kurt is the antidote rather than the cause for his downward mood lately. Just a few hours with Kurt, playful smiles and fingers interlocked across the table is enough to lighten his mood. He can pretend for just a short while that they could be a normal couple starting out together, that there's hope in their future like Kurt still believes there is.<p>

Blaine could tell him now but it just doesn't feel right, not in public, he justifies.

On Friday afternoon, Kurt invites Blaine over to his place for lunch and a TV marathon. They cuddle up on the sofa with a plate of sandwiches to share while they watch Desperate Housewives. Kurt seems to be an endless barrel of useless trivia when it comes to the series and Blaine hangs onto every word, amazed that he knows so much. It doesn't take long for either of them to stop paying attention however after Blaine starts kissing him with a hunger that sends Kurt crazy.

Blaine can't tell him now, not when Kurt's roommate is in the other room. Eventually he reluctantly leaves so he can get to the theatre on time, saying that he has plans with friends and hating himself for every single lie that comes out of his mouth.

They don't see each other over the weekend what with the two matinees that Blaine has to play and Kurt's schedule at the diner is pretty packed as well.

He certainly can't tell Kurt over the phone, that's not fair on either of them.

"Guess what!" Kurt says just a little too enthusiastically when Blaine answers the phone on Monday morning the wrong side of 8:00am. "I have tonight off so if you're not busy I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie?"

"That sounds great," Blaine replies, shaking off the last few remnants of sleep and holding back a yawn, "what time?"

"I'll come by yours about 6?"

* * *

><p>"What's up?" Sam greets when Blaine shows up at his place at 5:30. "Look dude, I don't mean to be an asshole but I have a girl coming over in a while and I was kind of hoping we could be alone."<p>

"Oh it's not a problem, Kurt's picking me up for our date tonight," he says, fully anticipating the look Sam gives him, "Look I know what you're gonna say."

"That's funny because it feels like you're not listening to _anything_ I say," Sam retorts.

"I'm going to tell him tonight," Blaine admits, heart racing at the mere thought.

"Really?"

"Yeah I've been putting it off for too long. I can't lie to him anymore it's not fair. I just...It's really gonna suck watching him go. This last month has been incredible."

"I'm sorry bro. But you never know, he might stick around," Sam says, but Blaine can tell by his false optimism that he doubts he will.

"I really hope he does," Blaine says, regardless.

Blaine goes out with Kurt with a sense of foreboding hanging over his head. He can't focus on anything Kurt says because all he can think about is the bombshell he's going to be dropping at the end of the night. He looks at Kurt and imagines the look of confusion, of hurt that will morph his features when he tells him and every moment they spend together is a moment closer to when Blaine has no choice but to come clean.

To make matters worse, the night is absolutely perfect, Blaine wants to scream at how unfair it is.

"Wanna come back to my place?" Kurt offers seductively, hands tight around Blaine's waist as he kisses him on the platform of the subway station. "My roommate won't be home."

Blaine agrees because it will be a much more adequate place for them to talk, certainly not because of the sudden tightening in his pants.

They get back to Kurt's loft and suddenly there's no time for words. Kurt is kissing him like the world is ending the moment the door slides shut behind them, barely leaving Blaine with room to breathe.

"God those jeans, Blaine," Kurt whimpers - actually _whimpers_ - letting his hands wander down to roughly squeeze Blaine's ass. Blaine hisses sharply as Kurt's fingers tighten, arousal swirling within him. "Bedroom?" Kurt asks, a seductive glint in his eye and Blaine is done for. His mind is a hazy mess of _Kurt_ and how much he desperately wants him -needs him right now. He lets him guide them to the bedroom, impatiently tugging at Blaine's hand until they get behind the privacy curtain. Kurt kisses him again, hands once again wandering, exploring every inch of Blaine in a way that leaves him begging for more, his original intent of just talking with Kurt now a distant memory. "Do you even know how hot you are?" Kurt growls, hand already starting at unbuttoning Blaine's shirt.

Blaine kisses back with an urgency to match Kurt's, lost in the heat of everything as Kurt undresses him. His own hands start to work at Kurt's shirt while he walks backwards until they fall onto the bed together, Kurt lying on top of Blaine.

Kurt all but tears Blaine's shirt away, tugging it over his head and tossing it away as though it has personally offended him before he makes a start on his jeans, mouth barely leaving Blaine's. Blaine groans into the kiss as Kurt works on the buttons, hands splayed out on Kurt's back, on the verge of begging.

It's not until Kurt has Blaine's jeans unbuttoned, hand slipping beneath his underwear and stroking his cock that Blaine finally catches up with himself and just how quickly things are progressing. At how wrong this is.

"Wait, wait, wait, stop," he says, his breath coming in short bursts. Kurt freezes, pulling his hand away slowly. He can't do this, he can't sleep with Kurt without him knowing the truth. He's been lying to him long enough and it would only hurt him more if he let this happen.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't I...I want to, God, please don't think I don't want to but I can't, not right now." Blaine realises that for him, 'not right now' is more or less the equivalent of 'not ever' but he sticks by his morals. It's the right thing to do.

"That's okay, Blaine, we don't have to. We can go at whatever pace you feel comfortable with."

"It's just...there's so much you don't know and I need to tell you everything before we...I'm sorry,"

"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Blaine. I'm sorry if I pushed you." Blaine leans up on his elbows to kiss Kurt soft and slow. He needs to tell him, but he can't find the words to begin the conversation. Blaine realises now just how quiet the apartment is. He can distantly hear the traffic below and the creaking of the pipes in the apartment beneath them but the air seems still in Kurt's bedroom, unmoving and stagnant.

"Can we just...cuddle?" he asks once he breaks away, forehead resting gently against Kurt's.

"Of course." Blaine can see the obvious worry on Kurt's face but he just can't bring himself to tell him. He's a coward, he doesn't want to lose this, Kurt, and this moment of quietude that they have together right now.

Kurt ends up spooning Blaine on the bed and he falls asleep not long after still wearing his jeans. Blaine on the other hand does not find sleep so quickly. His mind is racing with all the ways he could tell Kurt, he tries to find the gentlest way but there really isn't a gentle way of telling someone that everything they know about you is a lie.

Blaine drifts in and out of sleep, waking periodically in the early hours of the morning. It's 5am when he slips out from under Kurt's arms to find his shirt discarded on the floor. He slides the door shut as quietly as it allows before heading back to his own apartment in the early New York dawn.

After a few restless hours of sleep in his own bed, Blaine awakes in the early afternoon to a series of texts from Kurt.

**10:28**  
><em>I missed you this morning<em>

**10:56**  
><em>About last night, again I'm really sorry if I pushed you. I guess I read the signs wrong.<em>

**10:58**  
><em>Honestly, it's okay if you don't want sex. But I think we should talk about what happened.<em>

**11:12  
><strong>_Are you okay?_

**11:15  
><strong>_Are we okay?_

**12:01  
><strong>_Blaine please. _

Blaine doesn't have the heart to reply, not yet, but he knows he can't just avoid Kurt forever, so he sets about trying to figure out just the right words to say. He spends the afternoon playing the cello, letting his mind wander as he tries to think of an appropriate way to fix this.

By the time the buzzer rings with the pizza he ordered, Blaine has come to the decision to show Kurt, rather than tell him, he'll make a gesture out of it. He'll get him a ticket to the show, top price of course, then meet him afterwards with the truth. It'll soften the blow a little and if Kurt is mad and leaves then so be it. He doesn't exactly feel good about the whole thing but he certainly feels a whole lot better than he did the night before. He has a plan now and whether or not it works in his favour, only time will tell.

"Come up," he says into the speaker as he lets the delivery guy in.

There's a knock on the door just as Blaine grabs his wallet and, pulling it open, Blaine is stood face to face with someone who is certainly not the pizza delivery guy.

"Kurt!" he breathes, eyes blown wide as his brain attempts to process what is happening. Kurt himself looks equally as confused as he looks about the place.

"I went by your place," Kurt says, his voice stony. "I was worried. You just vanished and you weren't answering my texts and after last night I feared that maybe there was something more going on that you weren't telling me."

"I can explain-"

"A girl answered and she said that nobody called Blaine Evans lived there. There was, however, a Sam Evans. I'm sure you can imagine my confusion. Then your _roommate_ invited me up and he told me that I'd be able to find you here, listed under Anderson."

"I was going to tell you," Blaine starts desperately. He can almost feel everything slipping through his fingers with one ice cold glare from Kurt.

"I just don't understand why you would lie to me about where you lived, about your name! And this place it's...what the hell is going on?"

"Kurt I've...I've lied to you about a hell of a lot more than just my name and I where I live," Blaine starts, moving aside so Kurt can take a step inside. His arms are crossed over his chest, his face stoic and Blaine's hands tremble as he closes the door. "I don't work at a music store. Well I did, I got a job there specifically so you'd think that's what I did. But I'm actually an orchestral musician, I play for Wicked." Kurt's eyes bug slightly at the news and it's painfully reminiscent of the look guys would always give him when he mentioned how much money he makes. With Kurt, there's something different though and Blaine can't put his finger on why.

"Are you serious? Why the hell wouldn't you tell me that?" Kurt demands. Blaine drops his head into his hands at the headache that's forming.

"I was going to."

"When exactly? How serious were you planning on getting with me before you decided to tell me who you really were?" Blaine can feel the hope dissolving within him with every stab Kurt gives.

"I'm sorry, I've just had a lot of bad experiences with guys who only dated me for my money and what I did and I was scared that you'd be the same," he cringes the second he hears it, at the accusatory edge to his choice of phrasing.

"How shallow do you think I am?" Kurt scowls.

"I don't. I don't think you're shallow at all Kurt. I know you're not like all the other guys. I'm sorry I lied-" Blaine says desperately.

"You more than just lied, you went out of your way to make me believe you were this whole other person. Do you even understand how crazy that is? We've been seeing each other for over a month and I don't even know who you are."

"I'm still the same guy, Kurt."

"No, I don't think you are. The Blaine I thought I knew was humble and sweet and would never lie to me. Too bad he doesn't exist."

"Please-"

"Look, I have to go, not everyone can afford a mansion of an apartment and us peasants actually have to work for a living," Kurt says, heading towards the door.

"That's not fair, Kurt."

"You want to talk about fair?" Kurt growls, spinning on his heel, "What exactly is fair about me having to spend the last five weeks falling in love with an imaginary person?" Blaine is left at a loss for words as Kurt wrenches the door open and leaves. His heart is pounding and tears prickle at his eyes. He had been trying to prepare himself for this moment for so long but nothing could have eased the pain of watching Kurt go like that. The apartment is silent and Blaine is left with the undeniable knowledge that it's over.

* * *

><p>"Dude...I'm sorry," Sam says, opening the door to let a moping Blaine in, knowing immediately from his mood how the confrontation yesterday must have gone down. "Mercedes answered the door while I was peeing, I had no choice but to tell him where you lived."<p>

"It's okay, I'm pretty much an expert when it comes to break ups by this point so what's one more?" Blaine mumbles, dropping himself onto the couch. "God, it's like I'm cursed. I might as well accept the fact that I'm gonna die alone."

"Okay, Mr Dramatic, you're not going to die alone. When you broke up with Jason you'd lost hope in ever finding a guy who didn't just like you for your money but then Kurt proved that wrong, right?"

"Kurt didn't like me, he liked the guy I was pretending to be."

"Who's still you, you idiot. Look what I'm trying to say is that you know how to get a guy to like you without expensive gifts and fancy restaurants. Next time you meet a guy just hold back with the compulsive lying and you're good to go!"

"I don't want another guy, I want Kurt." At a loss for a reply, Sam sets up the x-box, hoping to cheer Blaine up with their ritual post-breakup gaming marathon.

* * *

><p>Blaine begins living on autopilot, concerning himself with his performance every night and nothing else. He considers calling Kurt on more than one occasion but ultimately never goes through with it, feeling pathetic enough as it is without needing to be told a second time.<p>

One thing he makes sure of, however, is that his music doesn't suffer. He is nothing but professional about his music and instead of moping around all day, he puts his time to good use by practising endlessly.

He wonders what his life would be like if he really was the poor struggling musician he pretended he was, if he could be happy. Sure enough, Blaine is certain that he would be. He could have a guy like Kurt and there'd be no need for him to lie. What good is having a huge apartment if it's empty all the time? What's the point in having the money he does if he has no one special to spoil rotten? He knows he can't give it all up though. He loves his job too much, regardless of the salary he earns.

It's a Sunday night, a little over a month later when Blaine is leaving the theatre, hands and shoulders aching from playing two shows in one day, that a familiar figure approaches him by the exit. It's Kurt.

"Hi," he says in an emotionless tone that Blaine can't quite figure out.

"Kurt! What...what are you doing here?" Blaine allows himself to hope for all of three seconds before squashing it down to avoid getting hurt yet again. They move away from the crowd of people waiting by the stage door for some quiet so they can talk although Blaine doesn't know how long Kurt plans on actually staying.

"A friend of mine got me tickets for my birthday. She doesn't know about you but I guess Rachel's always had a flare for dramatic irony."

"It's your birthday?"

"Last week," Kurt clarifies.

"Happy Birthday." Blaine can't help but think of how they would have celebrated were they still together, had he not messed it up.

"Thank you."

"Did you enjoy the show?" Blaine asks, desperate to keep the conversation going.

"Of course," Kurt says with a hint of a smile that lifts Blaine up into the clouds. "It was incredible as always."

"You know if you want I could introduce you to the cast, it wouldn't be a problem-"

"Blaine," Kurt interrupts, holding a hand up and taking a step closer. "That's not why I'm here. I just...came to say hey."

"Hey," Blaine says, his heart in his throat.

"It's funny, the last time I came to see Wicked, I met a guy here. He was delivering a Cello to the orchestra." Blaine frowns, wondering what Kurt is getting at. "He was really cute so I asked him out but...things didn't really work out. It's a shame though, I really liked him. Unfortunately he wasn't real. "

"Kurt-" Blaine starts, feeling his heart breaking all over again, wishing Kurt would stop.

"You know, you remind me of him a lot. And I'm pretty certain that you're real...right?"

"I...Yeah," Blaine replies with a nod, chest beginning to swell with the faint beginnings of hope, "Yeah I'm real."

"Then maybe you and I could try."

"Really?" Blaine's voice cracks just a little

"Yeah just...no more lies okay? Promise me?"

"Of course, absolutely no more lies." Kurt steps forward, closing the last of the space between them so he can kiss Blaine and for the first time in weeks, Blaine feels like he's home.

"Let's say dinner? Tomorrow night? I'm guessing that's the only night you have off?"

"That sounds perfect," Blaine says, mind racing between the thousands of things he can do to make it up to Kurt. "We can go to this amazing place I know in the Upper East Side, my treat."

"No. Blaine, I don't want you to treat me any different to how you did before. I don't expect anything from you and I'd hate for you to think that I do. I'm not doing this for your money I can't stress that enough. I like you, I really, really do. And I was so angry at you for what you did, you made me feel like an idiot, you know that? But I do believe you had genuine intentions and I'm sorry that so many guys have taken advantage of you in the past because of the money you make. I promise that I will never do that."

"I know you won't. You're not like those guys, I know you don't expect anything but that doesn't mean I can't treat you," Blaine says, because he really does want to give Kurt the world.

"Let's just start off humble. We'll go somewhere inexpensive, split the bill and get to know each other again as equals, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine agrees, knowing that from now on he's going to be doing everything in his power to make Kurt the happiest man alive, and that it will have nothing to do with how much money he spends on him.


End file.
